


Metallic Spider

by odinstark



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anger, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Character Death, Depression, Drinking, Established Relationship, Grief/Mourning, Hurt James "Rhodey" Rhodes, James "Rhodey" Rhodes Needs a Hug, James "Rhodey" Rhodes-centric, Minor Violence, Multi, Polyamory, Wakes & Funerals, Widowed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-05-01 16:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19181794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/odinstark/pseuds/odinstark
Summary: self hate piece ✌️





	Metallic Spider

 

> _**“don’t mess around, get that stone and go.”** _
> 
>  

He should have went with her. Then maybe... He thought she'd be safe. He trusted Clint, more than he should have, considering what he'd spent the better part of the last five years doing, but still he trusted him. From the outside, it was a perfect set up. Nat was strong, confident, intelligent, she was capable. She was g-

He still felt her arms wrapped around his shoulders, as the tumbler of whiskey in his hand grew lighter. The soft lips against his cheek, her joking last comment dancing in his ears. His knuckles were cracked, bleeding and bruised. Clint's face didn't look much better either, streaked blue, black and purple, swollen to all hell.

It took both Tony and Steve to drag him off of Clint, stop him from mincing the former (current?) assassin into pieces. But he suspected Tony wasn't trying very hard to pull him away, if his own swollen hands were anything to do with it, he seemed to got some of his own hits in.

Tony rested on the floor in front of him, tucked between his legs, Natasha's usual spot, the quickly diminishing whiskey bottle resting in his lap, only moving to refill Rhodey's glass when he sensed it was empty, spending the rest of the time staring at the wall, where several smiling pictures of the three rested on the shelves.

For hours, the two sat in silence, crying and bargaining and denying, getting angry inside of their minds, at the world, at Clint, at themselves, before wordlessly Tony stood up and climbed onto Rhodey's lap and pulled the couch's blanket over them and told Friday to turn the lights off.

They didn't sleep.

Then days? Hours? Minutes? later, he was in the suit, fighting against aliens, the most normal thing he'd done in a while, it took the edge off the grief, to put his fist through things that weren't Barton's face. Just when he thought they were loosing, the universe's heroes, warriors and everyone in-between appeared, travelling through orange, glowing portals.

Sam appeared overhead and never before was he so glad to see his friend again. The two joined forces against Thanos' army, never straying too far away from Tony's side until the hoards got too large for them to be within spitting distance.

He saw the wizard a few minutes later holding a finger up to Tony who was engaged in a battle with the Mad Titan himself and before he knew it, the alien in his hands crumbled to dust in front of him.

He looked over to their foe to see him look shocked and sink to the floor, completely bested. His eyes raked the surroundings for Tony and saw a flash of red metal drop to rubble underfoot. Rhodey was by his side in seconds.

Tony's face and arm were completely burned but he was still the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. He told him so, through the choking fumes and his blinding tears, and watched his husband's chest stutter in a weak laugh. He continued to whisper reassurances to him as Tony's chest expanded less and less with each breathe, more to keep him from losing it than try and give Tony fake hope. Even if they had the best off world doctors, he doubted, as much as it hurt his heart to even think about, anything could be done for him.

Soon Pepper and Peter arrived, covered in soot and blood, and he let them says their goodbyes, but his hand never left Tony's, his gaze never left his eyes.

Tony died looking into Rhodey's eyes.

And Rhodey, the old Rhodey, died with him too.

The funeral was awful. 

Tony's last video message was even worse.

Uncharacteristically optimistic, it hurt to see Tony so full of hope for the future, one he never got to see.

But the worst part, was having Morgan, his daughter, sit on his lap, not completely understanding what was happening, but still silently sobbing her heart out. For the loss of both her mother and a father.

They pushed the arc reactor and a hourglass shape pendant out onto the lake, the water reflecting the light of the dying sun. Tony, Nat and he'd swam in it many times over the last fiver years. Now he would never step in it again before he died and even that would be too soon.

After a moment of silence, people began coming up to him and Pepper, Bruce standing beside him, steadying him. They were people he didn't know but that Tony or Nat had touched their lives at some point. He barely was getting through it as it was, but as soon as the wizard came up and began to open his mouth, Rhodey saw red.

The next thing he knew, Bruce and The Winter Soldier, Bucky, his name was Bucky, were dragging him off Stranger's bruised body. Stephen hadn't fought back.

His knuckles still hadn't healed from his previous fight. Clint was noticeably absent from the funeral. He couldn't see through his eyelids, which blurred with anger and tears so he struggled to fight away when he felt tight arms rap around him until he heard the calming and reassuring voice of Sam from above him. He hadn't realised he was sitting down. When did it get dark? 

"I lost both of them."

"I know."

"Both of them, Sam. Both. Nat's gone, Tony's gone. I didn't get to bury her, Sam. I didn't get to bury her."

 

 

> _**“don’t mess around, get that stone and go. ”** _
> 
>  

 

**Author's Note:**

> God I'm so FUCKING sorry


End file.
